


runaway train

by emmerrr



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 07:24:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16058330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmerrr/pseuds/emmerrr
Summary: “Is this seat taken?” Adam asked politely when he drew level. The guy looked at Adam, then at the seat, then back at Adam before finally shrugging and turning his head to look out of the window.Adam just about resisted rolling his eyes and slid into the seat, muttering, “Thanks.”





	runaway train

**Author's Note:**

> written to fill a tumblr prompt: "is this seat taken?"
> 
> i wasn't going to cross post this on ao3 initially but i like it too much not to ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Adam slipped through the train doors just as they were closing and had to stand with his hand on the safety bar just to catch his breath for a moment. He hated,  _hated_ having to run for the train.

When he was fairly certain he could now move again without feeling like his heart might explode, he began to make his way down the carriage in search of a seat.

Normally, he’d put up with just standing, but not today. It had been one of those Days with a capital ‘D’, when everything that  _could_  go wrong  _did_ go wrong, and Adam had worked through his lunch-break and then stayed late to try and get back on track.

He was exhausted.

The train was relatively full, and whilst there were a few unoccupied seats, a lot of people had put their bags up next to them in a most uninviting manner, and Adam didn’t particularly want to engage.

Finally, he spotted a free aisle-seat. The guy in the window-seat was probably around Adam’s age, and he was wearing a beat-up leather jacket and black jeans so distressed that Adam couldn’t tell if they were supposed to look like that or if they’d accidentally been put through a shredder. He had expensive looking headphones around his neck and not covering his ears, the tinny beat of what sounded like shitty EDM faintly audible. He was also wearing what looked like a permanent scowl on his face, but the seat beside him was completely empty, and it would do.

“Is this seat taken?” Adam asked politely when he drew level. The guy looked at Adam, then at the seat, then back at Adam before finally shrugging and turning his head to look out of the window.

Adam just about resisted rolling his eyes and slid into the seat, muttering, “Thanks.”

“It’s a free-country,” his new seat-mate said without looking at Adam, his voice dripping with boredom.

“In theory,” Adam replied mildly, dropping his head back against the headrest as he tried to get comfortable. He heard a small huff of what might have been amusement, but when he glanced to the right, his neighbour was still staring steadfast out of the window, his expression surly in the reflection.

He was actually quite annoyingly good-looking. Not that Adam was paying attention of course. Just…objectively.

Fuck, Adam was staring. And he was  _tired_. He crossed his arms and slumped a little lower in the seat, hoping the guy hadn’t noticed.

His eyes drooped a couple of times, and Adam valiantly fought to keep them open. He could sleep when he got home. He just needed to stay awake for the rest of his twenty minute train journey. Easy.

…Or not.

Adam came to slowly, dimly aware he had no idea where he was. His cheek was leaning against something hard, and his mouth was slack; he’d possibly been drooling slightly. Fantastic, he’d fallen asleep.

He yawned and blinked a couple of times, not yet willing to lift his head.

“Y’know,” said a rumbling voice, “it seems like you should at least tell me your name before you fall asleep on me, but I guess we’re past that now.”

Adam jerked upright, absolutely mortified. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” he said, covering his face with his hands. There was a perfect indent of the shoulder seam of the stranger’s jacket on Adam’s cheek, and he slowly dragged his hands away from his face, hoping he wasn’t as red as he felt. Hesitantly, he said, “Adam Parrish.”

The guy smirked. “Ronan Lynch.” It suited him.

Something oddly pleased settled in Adam at now having a name to put to this face. At the very least, Ronan didn’t seem annoyed that Adam had been sleeping on his shoulder for God knows how long.

“Oh  _fuck,”_ Adam said suddenly, leaning across Ronan to look out of the window and try and figure out where they were. He could immediately tell that he’d gone too far, and let out a groan just as an overhead announcement called out the next stop, which was three along from where Adam should have gotten off.

 _“Fuck,”_  he reiterated, sitting back in his seat. “I missed my stop.”

“That sucks,” Ronan said, unconcerned.

Adam whirled on him. “Why didn’t you wake me up? Who just lets a stranger sleep on them on a train?”

Ronan shrugged. “I dunno, man, you seemed, like,  _really_  fucking tired.”

Adam pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He couldn’t believe he’d let this happen. “I  _am_  really fucking tired, and I’m going to be even more tired by the time I finally get home.”

He’d have to get off at the next stop and then wait for the next train going the other way which — Adam checked his watch and groaned again — wouldn’t be for another  _hour_.

“Hey, Ad—Parrish,” Ronan said, rubbing a hand over the back of his shaved head. He looked a little awkward and it was endearing somehow; it helped to saw some of the edges off Adam’s irritation. “This is my stop, and I only live down the road from the station. I can borrow my brother’s car and drop you off wherever you’re going, save you waiting for another train.”

“I—you’d do that?” Adam asked, surprise colouring his tone.

Ronan shrugged again. “Well, yeah. I kinda feel fuckin’ responsible now.”

Adam shook his head. “Don’t, it was my fault, not yours. You really don’t have to.”

“I know that,” Ronan said, then he rolled his eyes. “I’m offering though. Take it or fucking leave it, Parrish.”  

Adam hesitated, everything he’d ever learned about stranger danger at school flashing through his mind. But he couldn’t deny there was something about Ronan that seemed innately trustworthy. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d offer his help unless he really meant it.

Plus Adam really,  _really_ didn’t want to wait for another train.

“That would be great, as long as you’re sure it’s not a problem,” Adam said. “I don’t want to put you out.”

“It’s fine, Parrish.” He nudged Adam in the arm. “Get up, stop’s coming up.”

Adam hoisted himself out of the seat and led the way down the aisle towards the doors just as the train slowly drew to a stop. They stepped out in silence, the chilly October air setting in quickly after being in a warm train. Adam pulled his jacket tighter around him.

Ronan shot him a quick look. “It’s not far,” he said, and Adam nodded.

It was harder to know what to say now they were out of the train. He searched his mind for something — anything — to talk about, but all he could come up with were stereotypical small-talk conversation starters. He got the impression Ronan wasn’t much of a small-talk kind of guy.

It didn’t matter anyway, because when Ronan had said it wasn’t far, he really  _meant_ it. They hadn’t been walking quite five minutes when they stopped beside a modest-sized house that had a sporty yellow Subaru in the driveway.

Ronan took his house keys out of his pocket and got the front door open, waving Adam inside.

“C’mon in for a sec, I gotta grab the car keys anyway.”

Adam followed him inside and shut the door behind him, but then hovered awkwardly near the door as Ronan walked further into the house. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and called up, “Matty, I’m taking your car, I’ll be back in a bit.”

There was an unintelligible shout in response and then a thump as someone started thundering down the stairs.

“What?” said an approaching voice. “What’s wrong with  _your_ car?”

A boy appeared at the bottom of the stairs, a few years younger than Adam was; maybe late teens, early twenties. He was very clearly related to Ronan, although he looked softer in almost every conceivable way. His eyes landed on Adam and he smiled widely. “Oh. Hello.”

“Hello,” Adam said, returning the smile as politely as possible.

“Are you a friend of Ronan’s?”

Adam looked at Ronan helplessly. Ronan shrugged in exasperation and then gazed skyward as if praying for help. He sighed. “This is Adam, Matthew. I just met him on the train and he missed his stop, but my car’s in the shop, which is why I need to borrow yours to take him home.”

Matthew took all this in easily enough, clearly not bothered by the fact that Ronan and Adam were practically strangers. “No worries, pal, my keys are on the hook in the kitchen. It was nice to meet you, Adam.” He turned around and headed back up the stairs.

“You too,” Adam said after him. 

Ronan went to the kitchen to grab the keys, then came back out, jingled them at Adam and gestured towards the door. Adam preceded him outside and got in the passenger seat when Ronan unlocked the door.

As soon as he was settled behind the wheel, Ronan asked where Adam lived.

“Just get onto the Main Street and keep going, I’ll let you know where to turn off.”

Ronan nodded and got them moving, and for the first couple of minutes it was silent, before it became too much for Adam. Ronan was going out of his way to give Adam a lift home; the least Adam could do was not ignore him.

“What happened to your car?” he asked, and Ronan glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “You said it was in the shop.”

Ronan’s eyes flicked back to the road. “Some asshole scratched up the doors at a parking lot downtown. Getting the bodywork fixed.”

Adam winced in sympathy. Jobs like that were costly which was annoying given that they were mostly cosmetic. “That’s a pain in the ass. Know who did it?”

Ronan shook his head, and Adam let the subject die.

He took to looking out of the window, but a moment later was startled out of his own head by Ronan’s voice. “I hate getting the train.”

“Yeah, it’s a pain,” Adam said. “Saves me money though, I have a railcard. And no car.”

Ronan shook his head again, seemingly frustrated, like Adam wasn’t getting it. “I usually hate getting the train, and I don’t normally have to because I have my car, but I got it today,” he said, then glanced at Adam quickly. “Of all days.”

“…What’s your point?”

Ronan huffed a laugh. “Nothing, Parrish.” But it obviously wasn’t nothing, and a second later he continued. “The first time I have to catch a train in fucking  _years_ , and you sit next to me, fall asleep on my shoulder, drool all over my fuckin’ jacket, then miss your stop. It’s just…”

“It’s a meet-cute,” Adam supplied, then couldn’t believe the words had tumbled so easily out of his mouth. He really needed to get out of Ronan’s company before he embarrassed himself further.

Ronan snorted. “It’s a meet- _something_.”

“And I didn’t drool on your jacket.”

“You fucking  _did.”_

Adam thought about it, and then he remembered and inclined his head slightly. “Maybe.”

Conversation was easier for the rest of the journey. Adam found out that Ronan worked at an art gallery in the city just a couple of blocks from Adam’s office-building, and that Matthew lived with him whilst attending the local university. He also had another brother who lived in D.C., and his mother lived on a farm back in Virginia. Ronan didn’t mention his father, and Adam knew better than to ask. It wasn’t like he’d been particularly forthcoming about his own family. Ronan had seemed to sense they were a sore subject.

Before Adam knew it, he was telling Ronan to turn off and directing him the last couple of turns before stopping outside his apartment building. Ronan put the car in park, but didn’t switch off the engine.

“Thank you, Ronan,” Adam said, his hand on the door-handle. “I really appreciate it.”

“No worries, Parrish. I should’ve woken you up, at least to check where your stop was. It’s at least a  _little_ on me.”

Adam smiled, struck by the sudden urge to lean across the middle console and kiss Ronan on the cheek. He refrained, just about.

“To be honest, I kind of enjoyed our little misadventure.” He shrugged and opened the door. “Might do it again some time.”

Just as he got out of the car, he thought he heard Ronan say, “Night, Adam,” but he was already shutting the door, and then Ronan was driving away.

Adam stood alone on the sidewalk for a moment, feeling oddly despondent. It felt anti-climactic somehow. He didn’t even have Ronan’s number. He really should have asked for it.

Feeling somewhat heavy-hearted but not surprised that he was only thinking of this now that it was too late, Adam dragged his feet up to his apartment.

He showered, ate a microwave meal in front of the TV, and then tried to get a little work done with little to no success. His mind kept getting caught up on daydreams of Ronan, and Adam soon gave up and went to bed.

Sleep should have come easy, but it didn’t.

The next day at work was easier. There were fewer disasters, fewer fires for Adam to put out. He actually got to take his proper lunch-break which made for a nice change. Although he didn’t strictly need to, he stayed late again. He told himself it was because he was just trying to get ahead of himself, but if he was completely honest with himself, he knew it was because he was trying to increase his chances of seeing Ronan again.

It was stupid. Ronan might not get the same train again, or maybe he took Matthew’s car, or maybe he had his  _own_ car back by now. There were so many variables; it felt like he was setting himself up to be disappointed and yet he couldn’t help it.

At the very least, he didn’t have to run for the train this time. He walked through two carriages with no sign of Ronan before he gave up and sat down at the next available seat. 

He sat by the window and pressed his temple against it, looking out with a frown on his face and trying to rationalise his crushing disappointment.

“Is this seat taken?”

Adam turned his head so quickly he nearly got whiplash to see none other than Ronan Lynch staring down at him with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“You’re an asshole,” Adam said, but he laughed. “Has anyone ever told you that before?”

“Obviously, Parrish,” Ronan said jovially, and flung himself in beside Adam. “Why so glum?”

“I’m not. Not anymore.” Adam blushed a little, but he was determined not to repeat his mistake of yesterday. He took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Ronan. “First thing’s first: Put your number in there.”

“Is this so you can call me anytime you need a lift?” Ronan said, but he was clearly joking and he dutifully typed his information into Adam’s phone.

“No,” Adam said. “It’s so I can call you to ask you out.”

Ronan smirked as he handed the phone back. “Why don’t you just ask me out now?”

“Because I’m tired and your shoulder is comfortable,” he replied simply as he got himself comfy leaning on Ronan. “For the love of all things holy, do  _not_ let me sleep through my stop.”

Adam’s eyes were closed but he could hear the smile in Ronan’s voice when he replied, “No promises, Parrish.”


End file.
